The Roommate Chronicles
by justaroundtheriverbender
Summary: Abe and Michonne are roommates for the time being. AU story.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N This story has been sitting in m__y doc manager since the summer embarrassingly enough. I'm really into the dynamic I've created for these two, it isn't so in your face romantic. I'm trying something new here. Plus my dream Ship is Abe/Michonne so I really wanted to give them a full story.  
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_**The Move In**_

Its seven in the afternoon and the sun was just beginning to set, darkening the city but enchanting the excitement of the night life. Michonne walked across her window showcasing a vast view of the city. With the orange sun on her back, her ears picks up on the various details of the chaotic streets below her. She's used to the noise by now and thinks she works better with it as a backdrop. She kneels down on her living room carpet and arranged her legal briefs for work the next day. She held a glass of wine near her mouth. Swirling it, before she takes a lengthy sip. Her phone starts ringing and she reaches over answering it. "Hello."

"Hey Michonne, it's Abraham-"

"Whats wrong, you sound panicked?"

"Yeah well some pipes exploded in my building and my apartment's flooding, so I was wondering if I could crash at your place for a while?" His gruff voice began to tremor down into a whimper as she placed her glass down and surveyed her spacious yet lonely apartment. "I wouldn't bother you like this but you're in close range." He continues, as he worries about imposing on her.

She ran a hand through her dreads in thought before listening to some men cursing at Abraham in the background amongst the flow of rushing water. "Fine, but-"

"Thanks Mich, I got half my stuff packed already and I'll be there in-"

The line went dead and Michonne looked down at her glass with a coy smile. She couldn't believe she'd just invited a human wreaking ball into her apartment. 'Hopefully he's more delicate with other people's things than his own.'

She didn't know when he'd show up, but she wasted no time in clearing out her guest bedroom, straightening the sheets, aligning the decor, and even spaying the linen with lavender scented spritz to give the room a sense of warmth and life. She thought about the mayhem on his end, and wanted to be sure he'd be comfortable at her place.

She'd lived alone for quite awhile and now her mind was going a mile a minute, with things that could and would go wrong. 'It'll only be a short stay... I should probably tone down on the lavender' she thought to herself. Realizing it had been a while since he was at her place, she wondered, if he'd get her street right or remembered her apartment number.

Michonne was startled by a ring then heavy knocks at her door. Walking towards it, she looked out her peephole to see a pensive Andrea standing beside Abraham. As Michonne opened her door, Abraham was assembling his belongings and greet the confused tenant.

Andrea pointed at the red head beside her. "I think this belongs to you-he kept ringing on everyone's doors and calling out for you in the hallway!"

"Sorry Andrea." Michonne said as the blonde nosily analyzed the stares between Abraham and Michonne before walking off with a smirk. Michonne leaned into Abraham once Andrea was out of listening range. "Why didn't you call me back and ask for my apartment number? I could have saved you the trouble of terrorizing my neighbors." She scolded the man as Andrea watched them from afar. Her and the blonde rarely talked, but knowing that Michonne had such a boisterous male friend over would probably spread around the building like wild fire. This was just what someone as private as Michonne needed, Andrea in her business.

"I was working my way up to your door and maybe I just wanted to meet the neighbors-"

"Or you were lost and it slipped your mind to call me."

His pressed his moth together in thought, looking the smaller woman over. She was dressed casually in a white t-shirt and floral printed pajama shorts, with some socks. "Is it me of did you get... smaller since that last time I saw yah... Mich."

She finally craned her head up to look at him and his arrogant little smile that was framed by his bright red handlebar mustache. The most annoying thing he constantly does is pick her up, so she gives him a look that has him rethinking any swift actions.

She stepped aside to let him pass before placing a hand on his broad chest, ignoring the flexing of his muscles at the sudden grace of her touch.

"Don't go lumbering around with those bags in my apartment, leave them by the door and sort through them later... the things in here are worth more than your life-"

"Don't worry, I wont hurt your nick-nacks Mich-"

"Call me that again and I'll make you sleep on the welcome mat-"

"Maybe I should, it'll give your guests a friendly face to look at before they have to met you."

Michonne jerked her head around in offense, but swallowed her pride and let it go, she is to preoccupied with work to be bickering with him most of the night. She went outside to grab the rest of his luggage before he met her halfway and carried it in for her.

"Don't worry babe, I got it-"

"Don't call me Babe."

"Can't call yah Mich, can't call you my babe, what can I call you?"

"My name!" She said in exasperation, as if the answer was so obvious. "You shouldn't aggravate someone who's giving you free food, water, and shelter."

He looked at her with a blank look in his eyes. "So... when did you become the government?"

"Abe." She warned him with a forced smile as he bent down to her level. "Babe?"

"Don't make me have to kick you out before you're even inside yet... "

"I bet you say that to all the cute guys-ok, ok sorry."

Abraham and Michonne had meet years ago at a wedding, her best friend was marrying his. They exchanged small talk, she informed him that she was a lawyer and he boasted about being an architecture. He was smart, friendly, and had the kindest blue eyes, traits he still had today. And despite the fact that she lived in New York and he resided in Atlanta, they'd put up an effort to keep in touch. They talked over the phone, even came to visit each other but his move to the city made connecting much easier. The two started to make more plans and even more excuses to see each other.

The increasing amount of time spent together wasn't alarming to either of them. She summed it up to him being new to the city and in need of a familiar face, and knowing Michonne he only assumed she needed someone she could take trips down memory lane with and laugh. And he loved whenever he got a good laugh out of her, he'd meanly joke about 'chipping away at her iciness.' There interactions could have been seen as subconsciously dating, if there relationship wasn't so immature and non romantic.

Abraham went into the guest bedroom and instantly smelled the sent of lavender, he smiles to himself then smirks, "ah, just like her."

After his shower he changed into some jeans an a t-shirt and saw Michonne packing away her documents from the living room table. The door bell rings and Abraham shouts, "I'll get it" while Michonne's hands are full lugging her legal briefs into her bedroom.

A few moments later the two friends are seated around the kitchen table, filling their equally aching stomachs with hot pizza. Michonne decided she should suggest a simple rule or two, and what better time to do it then now when he has a mouth food of pizza and couldn't possibly argue as much. "So I think we need to make a few ground rules...obviously knock first before entering my bedroom, or the bathroom, and don't leave the toilet seat up."

"The closet counts as a room, do I have to knock on that too?" His voice riddled with a playful sauce.

She appeared unbothered and shrugged her shoulders with a casual response. "I have a walk in closet so..."

"How the hell do you have a walk in closet but one bathroom?"

"Well I had two bathrooms but I knocked one down to expand my closet."

Abraham looks at her like she's crazy then shakes his head in confusion. "Why?"

"Its my apartment I can do whatever I want."

"How much room do you need for the little articles of clothing you normally wear."

"I guess an additional bathroom size." She munches down on another slice of pizza.

"And on another note I don't even leave the seat up. That's just an urban legend women tell each other when their mad at men."

Michonne looks over at him. "You just used the bathroom...so tell me, if I go in there the seat wont be up right?"

"..."

Michonne gets up from the table as Abraham runs after her. "Its just one time I wont do it again."


	2. Chapter 2

**How to Save a Life**

Michonne rolled her eyes trying to tune out the obnoxious sounds from the kitchen, as she could only assume Abraham was making himself a big enough meal to last him hours of eating. She was feeling slightly famished herself as she hadn't eaten since she arrived home from work. Laying across her bed, surrounded by what would give a lesser person anxiety, she hears the thumping of his footsteps entering her room. "Oh my god I don't have time for this." She exhales rubbing her face, this wasn't the time for him to harass her on the whereabouts of her kitchen.

"Michonne. Eat." Abraham watches her look up seeing the large sandwich he'd made for her. His face is vacant of any emotion besides seriousness, maybe there was a hint of concern in there too.

"Was that a command or an offer?" She rolled on her side, giving way to the curvacious hips, silhouetted beneath her thigh length nightgown.

"Take it how you want, but you're gonna eat this sandwich. You've been home for six hours and I haven't seen you eat a thing. " He grumbled, not allowing his eyes to travel anywhere lower than her annoyed face.

"I'll eat it later."

"You'll eat it now."

"You're in my house, trying to be the boss of me. You can't order me around like a damn dog." She bit back, finally sitting up to look at the over demanding man.

"You're not like a dog, because a dog would have eaten the sandwich by now. Stop being difficult and eat. You never want anyone to help you."

"Because I don't need anyone's help. I was going to make something when I was ready."

"Well I'm here now, and I'm not gonna stand around and watch you starve yourself over some damn papers."

"Oh yes, shrink the mass importance of my job to _some damn papers. _"

With Abraham being an architect, precision, attention to detail, even a strict schedule, she could understand but never this drill Sargent mentality. For him this was how his care for her would manifest, he's this hard because he knows he has to be in order to get through that stubbornness she's so immensely attached to. Michonne resentfully takes the sandwich, then consumes a large bite just to please him. 'Oh my god this is so good.' She satisfies her rumbling stomach, and her palate while continuing to eat.

He watches her like he'd overcome some big obstacle. Then folds his arms like he's monitoring her progress. The polite thing would be to leave her in peace with her food, but instead he sticks around, while she ignores his presence and proceeds to eat and work. He clears his throat hearing her sigh then look his way.

"So am I going to get a thank you in between chewing or what?" He smirked.

"I was going to thank you but then you started acting like an asshole so..."

"Why are you withholding pleasantries?!"

"Because you weren't pleasant!" She sighs looking towards his frustrated poppy dog stare. "Thank you. This is actually really delicious."

"I had this crush on my next door neighbor who taught a culinary class, so I signed up for a few sessions. I wasn't the only guy with the idea so I had to be at my best. She didn't give me the time of day but damn did I learn how to make a mean pot roast."

"That's a very enlightening story Abe...that nobody asked for."

He nods at her, "alright, you're busy so I'll leave you be." Abe instead of making any attempt to actually leave, stands there as if waiting for a declaration not to go. Michonne knowing this routine too well, caters to his non verbal request.

"Actually I think I've done enough prepping for the night so if you're bored you can stay."

At the end of her sentence she rolls her eyes as he drops down on her bed, making her body propel in mid air for a second before flopping back down. She arranges her slightly scattered documents while he's starring at the lowered gaze of her eyes, that were fixated on organization at the moment. She packs her documents away carefully and feels him shifting slightly beside her.

"I got a jury duty summons a few days ago," he mentions out of the blue, though the upcoming story was on topic, "but I'm not sure if its for your case or not. Hypothetically speaking if I did get you, should I just side with your person regardless of their innocence, even if I think they're guilty?"

Michonne smirks pretending to take this theory as a serious notion. "Even if you think they're guilty? Ah... sure why not? A girls gotta eat."

"Wow really?"

"It depends. I mean do you want me to win? Do you want food on the table-do you want me to get my money?"

"Yeah I don't need us ending up on the street, of course I want you to get your money."

"Then you know what to do. Do what you think is best, not what's right Abraham, what's best." She playfully winks at him.

"I know whats right, and what's right is whatever is best for us."

"Exactly. What's wrong with looking out for each other?"

They both laugh and seem to put this very joking matter aside.

"So what's your case about anyways?"

"I'm not aloud to talk about it, and once you're apart of a jury you're not aloud to talk about your case either. Well not to anyone who isn't also apart of the jury. If you actually go instead of bailing on it and tossing the notice in the trash, you'll be informed of this."

"But how cool would it be for you to march in the courtroom and see me in the jury? I'll give you a head nod so you know that I got your back. I can knock some skulls together during deliberations, get them to side with me than boom, easy win."

"That's cute, but if that ever actually happened, I'd have to inform the judge that I know you, and you'd be escorted out. I wouldn't need your help anyways I'm very persuasive."

"I can be very persuasive too. I mean I got you to eat that sandwich didn't I?" He boasted.

"In my defense I was starving, and you took aggressive means to accomplish that." She said, taking on his overconfidence by knocking him down a bit with an impromptu lawyer talk.

"No I didn't!"

"Look at your body, your massive size is threatening. I had no choice but to meet your demands. I mean look at me, I'm a small woman." She limply wiggles her arm.

"Why are you depicting yourself as Thumbelina? You almost knocked me out once!"

"And you're clearly insane, so there's an added level of tension to the situation. You're unpredictable, you've proven to have a short temper. What if I hadn't eaten that sandwich? You say you're _very_ _persuasive_, what means would you have taken to get me to do what you wanted?"

"Are you gonna get me locked up for a fucking sandwich?"

"You falter so easily." She laughed at her easy win against her hardheaded friend.

"Obviously I'm not on my a-game because you're threatening to lock me up. I made you eat that sandwich because I cared about your health."

"Oh is this the whole 'I did it because I loved her excuse?'"

"Haha, fine, you got me miss lawyer... wait, what's that smell?" The red head stops joking to sniff the cloudy air.

"I think it's smoke... coming from the hallway-" Michonne said in a calm manner, but nearly jumped out of her nighty when her bulldozer of a friend began to freak out.

"It's a fire! Michonne grab what you love and go!" Abraham yells before opening a window and shouting fire as Michonne is putting on her slippers and looking around for a pair of pants. To his dismay, She is taking her sweet time to get to the door with her pants still in hand, debating whether or not to go outside.

"Leave that behind and lets go!" She squeaks as he grabs her by the waist and hoists her over his shoulder. Prying open the door, he sees other people wondering the hallway for answers before a woman from upstairs walks downstairs. "It's ok, it's just Carol."

Everyone sighs with relief and annoyance before Andrea and everyone else in the hallway is staring at the professional, shut in Michonne being carried like a sack of potatoes, by a stranger they've never seen before.

"Oh my got Abraham, it's just Carol-put me down!" She groans, covering her face in embarrassment at the stares.

"What does that even mean?!" He asks her... well her bottom half anyway.

Michonne's blonde neighbor walks over, trying to hold back some giggles at Michonne's predicament before pointing to her dangling legs.

"Well I can say that I've never seen that side of you before, haha."

"Bitch." Michonne mumbles under her breath. Hearing this, her companion lets her down as the law woman straightened herself up and proudly walked back into her apartment, despite her almost dying of embarrassment at everyone on the second floor seeing a half naked her and Abraham.

"Well anyway, Carol has a habit of burning things in her apartment, especially in the kitchen but she always puts it out in time... this it the sixth time this month. By the way, my name is Andrea and I don't think we've been properly introduced yet." She flashed her blond hair and bated her eyes at him, but Abraham was still worried about the fire.

"Huh, oh yeah, I'm Abraham Ford-"

"It's not like Michonne to sneak an entire man by me, especially one so handsome."

"Oh, alright well you're pretty handsome too, I gotta go check on Michonne now. See yah."

"Bye Abraham, tell your girlfriend I said... hi." She whispered the last part in seduction before he nodded and slammed the door in her face.

"Mich, you ok-"

"I'm sleeping, go away!"

He pushed the door open to see her with her back to him, burning a hole into the wall with and angry stare. "Uh-"

"I can't believe you did that! I didn't even have my pants on yet, you'd better thank god that my gown was long enough-"

"Well how the hell was I supposed to know to ignore the possibly ragging fire upstairs that could have killed us?! I was trying to save your life, and I was careful so that nobody would see your ass-"

"Just go to bed Abraham, I'm not in the mood for your jokes right now..."

Hearing this, he sulks towards the door to leave after muttering sorry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Confrontation**

The anger of being humiliated in front of people she kept at a distance, had subsided by morning. Michonne was dressed and ready for work, she heard Abraham shuffling around in the distance of her apartment earlier, before leaving without so much as a goodbye to her. Walking out of her bathroom after touching up her make-up, she grabs her coat, but stops seeing a scarf dangling from the knob on the front door, with a note attached to it. "_I'm sorry. And its cold outside wear a scarf._**" **

Not wanting to run into any second floor tenants, she peaks her head out searching for any form of life before deciding the coast was clear. She wrapped the scarf Abraham had left for her around her neck and locked her door. Walking quickly down the hall she jumps as Andrea appears from her own door smiling at her.

"Funny running into you again Michonne, its nice that you have clothes on this time."

"I'm running late for work." Michonne informs rushing past, while Andrea wanting to carry on the conversation, locks her door and runs after the woman. The two were not friends, Michonne could see right through Andrea, there wasn't a sincere bone in that woman's body.

"So that nightgown your boyfriend brought you out in-"

"He's not my boyfriend-"

"You don't say." Andrea said drawing out her words like a curious child. "So, was he a one night stand or something? I didn't know you still dated guys-I mean with you being so busy and closed off." Andrea said with some snark as Michonne finally stopped to address her.

"What exactly do you want? Because this passive aggressive performance is getting old."

"Chatting about guys is what girls do, you'd know if you actually stopped and said hi to me, when I call to you-"

"I tend to tune out noises I don't like." Michonne grinned at Andrea's shocked face, seeing as Michonne had always tolerated her snide remarks in the past, a taste of her own medicine was long overdue.

Andrea huffed. "Why are you being so mean-"

"Why are you following me?"

"Because Michonne, Abraham and I just got acquainted yesterday and he seemed interested in me."

"You mean that exchange that took place for eight seconds? By the way, the fact that you would pursue him thinking that we were together really says something." She crossed her arms in irritation as the conversation took longer to end than usual.

"Anyway, all I'm saying is that you might be seeing a lot more of me than usual. Seeing as you two are just friends, I don't see a problem in asking him out. So if you return to an empty apartment, don't knock on my door for him-I'll give him back when I'm done."

"I find it unlikely that you're used to getting men with actual standards, which Abraham has, so if you do manage to get him, its good for us all, proof that miracles do happen." Michonne smiles then walks away from the angered blonde who narrows her eyes at Michonne's form sauntering away.

* * *

><p>Michonne returns home towards the end of the day and tiredly removes her coat then scarf, which she holds in her hand with a soft smile. Hearing the door, Abraham strolls out to greet her. He doesn't know how to go about talking to her, but luckily she casually starts some conversation.<p>

"So... anything interesting happen while I was away?"

He shrugs and points to the ceiling. "I think she stared another fire-"

"Did anybody bother you... did Andrea bother you-"

"Who?"

"That woman next door, the blonde girl-"

"Ohhh her, yeah, she kept knocking on the door."

'So she did ask him out, I can't believe her. Whatever... I wonder how it went?' She internalizes before making another inquiry. "So, what happened, did you talk to her?"

"What? Hell no. I didn't even open the door, I don't know these people!" He said in astonishment making Michonne let out a breath of relief she didn't know she was holding in. With the topic of Andrea proving to have little to no importance to either of them anymore, Abraham wants to get something off his chest, and finds an simple segue to the topic. "So did you see the scarf?"

"Yes, and the note that was attached to it."

Abe is giving her a severe case of puppy dog eyes while waiting for her to elaborate.

"I've moved past it, but don't you ever do something like that again."

"You know I don't think, I act. Once there was a fire in my neighbor's apartment, so the first thing I did was grab the poodle abandoned in the hall and ran, didn't even look back to see if the family was out. Fortunately they made it, but I kept the poodle, well I wanted to keep the poodle until they took it back."

"Its everyday with you and these random stories."

"Let me finish...you're the poodle. If everything goes to shit, I'm gonna be the one to get you out." Michonne smiles at him then furrows her brows watching determination building within his body. "I'm not allowing another poodle to be in danger, I'm going up there and giving this Carol a piece of my mind."

"Carol lives with two crazy rednecks, and nobody's got time for that kind of trouble. Its why no one in the building says anything to her." Michonne sees an urgency in Abraham's eyes, like he's itching for this confrontation, so she speaks sternly. "You are only staying with me a few weeks at the most, I still have to be here dealing with the enemies you'll be making me. Promise me you wont go upstairs and bother Carol."

"Does she let the rednecks out, or does she keep 'em by the door to ward away strangers?" He laughs.

"I've never actually seen them but I've heard them, a whole bunch of cursing and what sounds like fighting on the floor, and once I thought they had a cock fight up there."

"Sounds crazier than a goat rodeo. Now I really wanna go up there."

"Abe did I not just tell you-where are you going?!"

She shouts as he makes a beeline towards the kitchen. "I'm going up there asking for a cup of sugar, its the oldest trick in the book, but I know it'll work."

"That's not realistic, nobody ever needs a cup of sugar."

"If the hicks are legit, they may slip me something more then sugar. Ill give you a hint, it rhymes with oak."

She knows he's is a bull in a china shop, she also didn't hear him promise not to go up there; he isn't the type to say the words then do the opposite, so she feels like she can't leave him alone, but her phone starts ringing and she has to go.

While she's on the phone he wants to keep his feet planted, wants so badly to listen to her, but like the ticking of a clock he's closer and closer to just bolting. He forgets the rouse of the cup of sugar and leaves the apartment as Michonne is strolling back in. "Guess who was on the phone..." she speaks happily then stops seeing him gone. "Son of a bitch."

* * *

><p>It wasn't hard for Abraham to find Carol's apartment since Michonne had hinted it was directly above hers. knocking on the door, he's listening in on the shouts and grunt on the other end. A chorus of 'someone get the damn door' kept being yelled about until someone finally yanked open the door.<p>

Abraham and the other male shared a look of bewilderment and curiosity at the oddity before them. The disheveled brunette squinted at Abraham before looking him up and down.

"Well, what chu want?"

"Tell granny smith to stop burning down the building... unless it's you doing it-"

"Who the fuck are you, get the hell out of here ginger!"

Both men stop at the sound of the door being fully yanked opened and the man's older brother coming into view.

"You a cop?"

"No-"

"Than piss off!" He shouted as a few people began to poke their heads out to see what the commotion was about. Wanting to know who was fool enough to rial up the Dixons. Michonne had finally made it upstairs, just in time to see the confrontation.

"Abraham, lets go. Stop causing them trouble-"

"Yea listen to your bitch and go!"

"What the fuck did you just say?!" The red headed male yells with anger that his more temperament counterpart in Michonne holds together better. She's stunned by the sudden slander towards her but is more concerned with getting her hot headed friend out of the escalating situation. She positions herself in front of Abraham, he wont make a swing with her in the way. "Abraham let it go! lets get downstairs now!"

"I'm not letting the piece of shit tweaker get away with disrespecting you!" Maneuvering Michonne around him, Abe isn't about to back off and antagonizes Merle. "Get your ass out here right now before I drag you out! You're gonna attack a woman who didn't do shit to you!"

"I aint afraid of this fucking cheese doodle!" Merle yells as Daryl yanks his brother's arm, pulling him back inside trying to reason with him. "Naw Merle, you on parole and house arrest, don't start no trouble! We aint getting into problems with Carol and her neighbors!"

The Dixons are distracted by Abraham's cackling laughter. "That's why you can't leave the apartment, bitch you on parole-you look like you just came out of the clinker too, you fucking junkie."

"You lucky I'm under house arrest or I'd kick your ass!" Merle yells.

Finally Carol comes up behind the Dixons as Abraham is watching a pissed off Michonne headed back downstairs, his attention is directed away from Michonne when he hears Carol. "Daryl, I told you to keep Merle under control! Merle, if you don't want to go back to jail, you'll get back into the kitchen and-shit, I think I left the stove on!" She groaned as Daryl and Merle ran back into the kitchen. Carol looked at the pair with a nervous cough. "Yeah, sorry about them, they're going thorough a hard time-"

"Stop! Just use a microwave or something, you can't keep burning shit! It's impossible for you to keep starting fires all the time, unless you're trying to kill everyone here. And for fucks sake, get a fire alarm!" He spoke loud enough for the entire third and second floor to hear them. Carol rolled her eyes before shutting the door.

* * *

><p>Michonne storms back into her apartment ignoring Abraham repeatedly calling for her. He swings the door shut behind him then runs after her. "Didn't you hear me calling you?"<p>

She turns around infuriated, as he's peering down at her, he realizes he's done it again, another night of letting her down. He wants to apologize but the words wouldn't mean much to her at this point.

"I told you not to go up there and start any trouble and you did it anyway. The first time I've interacted with my upstairs neighbors and their first impression of me is trash who engages in fights, attached to some brute!"

"Why do you care what any of these people think of you? You're a successful lawyer and when I'm not around, classy as shit! I did what I did to protect you in the future! You really mean to tell me one of these days that witch aint gonna kill everybody in here?!"

Michonne says nothing and goes into her bedroom slamming her door shut. Abraham is mostly angry with himself and his actions as he loudly lets out a profanity before stomping back to his room, but the doorbell stops him. He checks to see if Michonne was going to come out of her room, but when she doesn't he answers the door. He sees Daryl and Carol standing side by side, Carol seems pensive while Daryl looks nervous. The poor guy hasn't been out of Carol's apartment in sometime. Dealing with a fussy Merle had proven to be a full time job.

Carol nudges Daryl. "Don't you have something to say?"

"We aint tweakers..." he mumbles under his breath.

"Daryl!"

"...and, we're sorry."

The red headed male sighs and shamefully rubs his forehead. "I knew you weren't a tweaker, that was just the first insult that came to mind. I'm sorry too, truth is I get real protective over that girl in there and I kinda lose my shit."

Daryl nods profusely. He understands since he'd act the same if it were him and Carol in that position. Truth was nobody really knew the Dixons, everything was hearsay. Daryl would've loved a reputation that was true to him. He was smart, and had devolved a software program that made him lots of money, but due to his accent and troubled older sibling he's usually labeled as an ignorant redneck. And it wasn't just Abe, it was everyone that came across them, still Daryl aimed for diplomacy.

Carol speaks to further atone for the previous situation. "lets put this whole thing behind us. I don't know Michonne very well but the few times I've passed her at the mail box, she seemed kind. We didn't mean to cause her any trouble." Carol was well aware of the disdain most of the building had towards her.

Daryl notices the sadness on Abe's face and sympathizes. "You in the doghouse huh?"

"I'm not even in the house, I'm being dragged across the lawn and tossed in front of a truck. One more mistake and she dropping me in the pound."

"Holy shit, its dat bad?"

Michonne who had been ease dropping on the conversation, finally comes out of her room. She looks at Carol with a smile as the older woman uses the moment to talk with Michonne in private. "I'll leave you too to chat." Carol says walking into the apartment, then speaks to the stressed law woman. "Listen I aint one to pry, but I just wanted to tell you I'm gonna do a lot better with my fire habits. Daryl and Merle always keeping me busy, especially around dinner time so things tend to get a bit crispy."

Michonne only nods her head then glances past Carol, to see Abraham and Daryl getting along. "You shouldn't be the only one apologizing-"

"Hey its water under the bridge." And with that Carol and Daryl said there goodbyes for the night leaving Abraham and Michonne alone. She looked up at Abraham as he starts to speak. "Listen Michonne-"

"If Carol and Daryl weren't nice enough people this could have been a blood bath. You've got one more strike Ford, just one."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Baby on the Brain** _

Daryl and Abraham were having a conversation one afternoon, after a chance run in. Abraham wanted to mend fences for Michonne's sake, and Daryl was excited to talk about his technical achievements, to someone other than Carol and Merle; because unlike Michonne who went out of her way to avoid her neighbor's, the residents of the building usually went out of their way to avoid Daryl and his family.

"It uses facial recognition along with the police data base to keep track of criminals. I kind of hoped it would help Merle stay out of trouble, because than the software would prove he had nothing to do with the crime... but, it kept catching him doin' stupid shit, and he got mad at me instead of cleaning up his act."

"Let me guess, he wanted you to tweak the program, so it wouldn't catch him?"

"Heh, you like that word a lot don't cha, but yeah. I'm gonna keep working on it, I know the right path now, and I aint gonna help Merle destroy himself no-mo, and take me with him... "

"But you said this was the newer program you're working on. Whats the one that's been making you all this money?"

"Its called Merwire. It was my first success after college. Its a surveillance system that runs on green energy, so even during blackouts they'll have enough power to record. It got real popular since its less grainy than most severance systems, when you zoom in real tight on somethin'.

"... Now I feel like shit about what I said up there. I dubbed you as this illiterate redneck, but I'm eating a pile of shit covered toast, finding out you some kinda computer genius."

"Yeah, I like proving assholes like you wrong."

Daryl laughs as does Abraham, who can't deny that he's an asshole.

Michonne ascends steps leading to the double doors of her building. She maneuvered around a young man on his way out, that took a moment to hold a door open for her. She thanked him, as he smiled with reddened cheeks.

She fanned the exposed skin of her neck and chest, cooling unhidden cleavage, left by the few unclasped buttons on her blouse. The clicking of her heels against the marble floor, forced Abraham and Daryl away from their conversation, as they acknowledge her entrance. With poise, the sway of her hips accompanied secure steps towards the two men, huddled together by the mailboxes.

"Abraham." She speaks his name with some suspicion, then uneasily greets Daryl. "Hello Daryl."

He looks down nodding. "Hey Michonne."

Opening the small sliver door, she collects her mail, looking back and forth between the two men. They were equally silent and avoiding the curiosity of her stare. Her words are directed at Daryl. "Nice seeing you again." She smiles.

"Yea, nice seeing you too," Daryl half smiles at her, then shyly looks at the ground, missing her side eye Abraham.

The two men watch her go. Abraham's eyes are on the back of her head, watching the sway of her dreads. He grows tense realizing Daryl's sights were set a lot lower on her vacating figure. An action Daryl quickly broke from, once catching himself.

"I'll see you later" the red head says, then pats Daryl on the shoulder before running after Michonne.

"Hey Mich, wait up!" She feels the heavy weight of his arm draping over her shoulder.

"I don't know what you're up to with Daryl, but stop it."

"I'm making friends with the Dixons, and they're the best type of friends, friends people fear."

"He's a good person, if you can't be genuine than leave him alone."

"Hey I actually like Daryl as a person, if I didn't I wouldn't bother talking to him. You've gone how many days without the smell of smoke in the air? I'm an unrecognized hero. So that little second strike, we can get rid of that, right?"

"I don't understand why you care about these strikes."

"You made me care about them the other night!"

Michonne shoves his heavy arm off, before climbing the staircase. After reaching the final steps to her floor, she strolls the narrow hallway, hearing his heavier paces behind her lighter ones. "You make a decent amount of money, enough to stay at a Hotel."

"I don't know Dakota or Abagail who'd search through my stuff if I were in a hotel. I'm wearing out my welcome this soon?"

"I'm sure that day will come, but not yet." Opening her apartment door, she walked in and sat on the living room couch, to sort through her mail. Abraham locks the door behind him.

"Is the rent due? I wanna pay it while I'm staying here." He announces while approaching her on the couch.

"That's sweet of you, thanks." Michonne searches through her collection of envelopes then pulls one free, handing it over. She starts dividing her mail on the table, hearing his fingers taring at the envelope. There's silence, as the redhead is displeased staring at the written amount.

"Son of a dick."

"Uh oh, you're dicking up your vocabulary again, something wrong?"

"This is an inhumane amount of money, is this place built on satin's wet dreams?"

"You made the offer, now you're gonna complain about it? Give it back then."

"No I'm still paying it." He says walking into his room, passing Michonne's annoyed eye roll. He sits on the bed, debating on paying with a check, or just throwing cash right in her landlord's face, but jumps when Michonne enters the room.

"I forgot, I didn't tell you about the phone call I got the other day. Its only when you walked away like a child that I remembered. Guess what? Sasha and Glenn are having a baby!"

"Why would you ask me to guess and then just tell me?"

"Because I'm bursting with joy, think of how gorgeous the kid is gonna be. I'm getting them the biggest bear I can find...apparently Sasha is pretty far along."

"And she just told you this recently... wow what a friend. I guess she remembered to tell you this the second she couldn't see her feet past her stomach or something." The red head rolls his eyes making the woman hold her hips in contempt.

"I know Sasha, okay. She must of had a good reason, so your tone is very unnecessary. If you need me I'll be out getting that bear. Baby girl Rhee is gonna need it."

"Baby boy Rhee."

"Excuse me? That baby is going to come out being a stunning little girl, and you're just going to have to deal with it."

"You know what?" He gets up, "I'm coming with you. I want to get some toys for the boy. Since all that cutesy stuff you're about to get him will be worthless."

"No more worthless than the sight of you."

* * *

><p>"What are you doing? Bears are not neon, you'll warp <strong>his<strong> mind."

"**She** will love a neon bear. **She's** a baby. Babies are attracted to bright colors."

"Until the family camping trip when **he** sees a neon bear. **He** wont know that its dangerous and to run, the animal's radioactive. **He's** gonna hug it and die glowing."

"This is a game to you. You just want to go against everything I like."

"That's not true."

"Okay, you see that baby bedding with the pink and purple polka dots, and yellow trim? I like that, I think its beautiful, we should get it."

"That's not fair, that thing is butt ugly, you're setting me up like you always do."

"That's not what I'm doing, but you're proving my point anyway, you didn't even give it a chance. Find the beauty in it." Michonne walks away. Abraham stays behind rubbing his head, while his artistic natured friend is going for yet another unnaturally colored animal. He views the drop in her shoulders, when releasing a deep exhale. Her hands were now aimlessly playing with a baby rattle, before placing the toy down, when she feels him beside her.

"You ever want kids?" He asked her, but at the same time was treading very lightly.

"Eventually, I suppose."

"How many?"

"As many as I can handle. What about you?"

"Yea...I want like...ten."

"Just like a man to want the amount of a football team."

"There aren't ten players to a team Mich-"

"You're missing the point. Ten kids, doesn't seem a little extreme to you? Why would you do that to a woman?"

"I want a big family. I spent a lot of time lonely and wishing I had siblings when I was a kid. I had friends growing up, but they're different than family. I never had anyone to gang up on my parents with, or blame shit I did around the house on. Defiantly cudda used someone else around, to take the heat off, whenever my father decided I wasn't shit."

Michonne didn't know what to say. Something like "I'm sorry" felt disingenuous because it was too common of a thing to say. And this was the first in a long time he'd been venerable with her. She stepped towards him and carried her arms around his torso, pressed her ear to his beating heart. He brought his arms around her, holding her tighter then she held him.

His base heavy voice loomed over her head's position below his resting chin. "Am I going to get a hug every time I give you some sob story, because I stubbed my toe this morning..."

She laughed and pulled back slapping his chest. It was back to the jokes with this one, but she wont allow the humorous detour to last. "I like when you tell me personal things, especially when they're sad. And though we can't change the past, who would we be without it?" Abraham stared down into the warmth of her eyes and smiled with a nod.

"Glenn and Sasha having a baby got me thinking about my situation. Work was only supposed to take over my life for a few years. I was supposed to find a good woman and build that life with her. The older I get, the smaller my window of opportunity is. I don't want to start a family too late in life, and be to old to be there for my children."

"You still have time...you sound like you're giving up."

"Don't say that, because you don't look too hopeful in me."

"Its because I can't relate to you."

"What do you mean?"

"When asked, I usually speak as if I'd be open to kids, but I'm not sure. I never thought about having a family. All I wanted in life was to be successful. My mother was this big art dealer, met my father and decided she wanted to be a full time mother to me and my sister. She was happy, but all I could remember were the times when I knew she missed work. I wouldn't be happy if being a mother was the only thing I had, but I can see myself being happy if a job I loved, was all I had."

"Why does it have to be either or? You can have both."

"Because one would have to take precedence over the other, and how bad would it be if I had this child and actively put my career before it. This is how I know you'll be a good father when the time comes. Your kids would be yearned for, and you'd stop anything in a heartbeat for them."

"You afraid you'll be missing out?"

"For the most part, not really." She sighs. "I don't know." She shakes her head wanting the wind to dry her budding tears. "And this is embarrassing to admit but, sometimes I feel like I'll end up alone. Most men would want a family." She looked down at her the baby rattle she'd quietly retrieved. His large hands set on her shoulders, gaining the attention of her unsettled gaze.

"There are a lot of men in this world. Men that will want what you want. You've got too much to offer to end up alone. I could get a lineup that would chop their dicks off for the chance to treat you like a queen."

"Oh hold on now, I still want the firework, even if I aint gonna shoot it into the sky." She adds with her own spin on her Abe like euphemisms to lighten the mood.

He smirks, "attagirl. Come on lets get your neon bear, and some other useless gadgets the baby with grow tired of in a year. Boys are adventurous that way." As they turn, he wraps his arm around her, while her hand moved across his back, then held his side.

"You are going to look like an even bigger idiot than you do normally, when that baby comes out to be a girl."

He stares down at her, with a raised brow. "Why do you have to be so mean? We just had a good moment here."


End file.
